


The Fallen Will Rise

by Lady_Mischievous



Category: Soul Calibur
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-04
Updated: 2015-09-04
Packaged: 2018-04-19 00:05:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4725305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Mischievous/pseuds/Lady_Mischievous
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The world has gone mad with war and persecution, in the midst of the chaos Raphael Sorel wakes up. Is he really who he thinks he is? Or is he only a fragment of a bigger picture?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Fallen Will Rise

How long had he been here? Why was he climbing these endless stairs? Why did he have this  _need_  to reach the top? Something was waiting for him, but what?

 

These questions floated about in the mind of a man as he climbed step after step up a spiral staircase. He was handsome, tall with golden hair cut just above his shoulders. His clothing was a mix between that of a nobleman and a swashbuckler. A well crafted dark blue jacket with a crest on the back of it that covered a red vest and black shirt under it. Tall dark blue leather boot stopped at the knee of deep purple pants and a crimson sash and belt fastened around his waist.  A beautifully crafted sword was sheathed at his right hip, waiting readily for when it may be needed. They would have been fine clothing had it not been for the slashes, tears, and blood stains in them. Clearly this man had been through battle after battle. Still, regardless of the weariness that shown in his face there was a fire that burned his sky blue eyes. He would reach the top, he  _had_  to!

 

 ' _But why?'_  The question arose from his mind as a taunting whisper. ' _What could be waiting for a creature like **you**  up there?'_

 

The question made the man blink. What  _was_  waiting for him up there? He couldn't remember. He tried to think about why he was doing all this and was met with nothing but fog in his mind. It just started to raise more questions. Who was he? Where was he? Why was he doing any of this? 

 

The man's steps finally came to a stop. His legs felt like lead as the tiredness caught up to him. He leaned against the wall next to him and looked at his surroundings. A spiral staircase with a stone wall on one side and an endless dark abyss on the other. The man blinked, then squinted and canted his head to side. It was the first time he noticed that something wasn't right about this place.

 

The man took a moment to catch his breath before he dared move to the edge of the stairs. He looked down and then up, nothing but endless dark space with only the torches give light to this place. His searching eye then caught a glimpse of something in the distance. A floating object that reflected the torch light, making it twinkle like a lone star in the night. He stood there transfixed on it and noticed that it seemed to be floating closer. He thought he could hear voices coming from it. They were faint at first but became more clear as the 'star' approached.

 

_"Raphael? Like the archangel?"_

 

The man gave a small gasp when he heard the voice. It was that of a young girl, hearing it brought an ache to his heart. Sadness, a terrible sadness cut through him like a knife.

 

 _"I can assure you that I am certainly no angel."_ spoke a man's voice as the shimmering 'star' gently floated down towards him. The closer it got he could see it looked more like a shattered shard of crystal. It had a subtle glow and a warmth that drew him towards it.

 

"No angel...?" the man spoke, testing his own voice. It was hoarse from lack of use but he was certain that the other voice he had heard was his own. Was this floating shard a memory? Was he the man called 'Raphael'?

 

 _"I already know there is no such thing as angels."_  the girl's voice continued.  _"They are all just fairy tales that people tell themselves for hope."_

 

The girl's words cut deeper into Raphael, guilt had gripped him and made his stomach twist. But why? What did he do? Had he killed her? No! He would never! She was...who was she?

 

_"How about coming with me? Away from this place? I can't promise that things will be easy, there's a price on my head. But you've shown me more kindness than my own family has, even if it was just because you don't like the soldiers."_

 

Raphael reached out to the floating crystal. A shattered fragment of himself that he had somehow lost. As it drifted gently towards him brief glimpses flashed in his mind. A girl that had saved his life when everyone else abandoned him. They became each other's family. A pair of outcasts that fought for survival and then fought against the world. Her name and face were just out of reach, his memories were still a jumbled mess of mismatched pieces. Yet before he could dwell on the matter a chill ran up his spine when his ears caught a small sound.

 

Raphael strained his ears to listen only for a sick feeling to grasp his stomach as it became louder. It sounded like clattering chains swiftly approaching like a predator bounding after its prey. Raphael looked back and saw that chains were indeed snaking their way up the endless stair case. His instinct told him to run, that he didn't want to be caught by them. He reached out and snatched the crystal from the air before he bolted up the stairs. Raphael ran and ran but the clattering was never far behind, the beast was closing in on him!

 

A searing heat then wrapped around Raphael's ankle and he fell forward. Dropping the fragment of himself when he landed hard on the stairs. The chains felt hot and angry as they coiled around Raphael's body like a serpent and started to squeeze. He was dragged back down the stairs towards something that was growling and snarling. Raphael looked back  only to see  a mass of twisted flesh and metal. It had a single red eye that glared at him with absolute hatred.

 

"Soul Edge..." The name escaped his lips, in his heart he knew what that thing was. It was starting to come back to him. He had searched for this unholy  _thing_! The promise of power was too great as was the cost of actually finding it.

 

Raphael tried to grab at anything to get a good enough grip to crawl away. Only to feel himself be forcibly tugged down further. He looked over his shoulder when he heard the abomination's growl was a little too close. He was met with Soul Edge opening up into a gaping maw of fleshy tendrils and jagged metal and bone for teeth. Its putrid, wet hot breath blew upon him like a breeze of death. Raphael was going to die, die to that thing that took him away from  _her_!

 

The monstrosity snarled as though it could read Raphael's mind. More serpentine tendrils wrapped around him and burned through his clothing like hot iron. Raphael howled in pain and panic when he smelled the sickening scent of his own cooking flesh. Soul Edge was quick to respond. Another tendril lashed out and speared Raphael in back and pierced through his stomach. Blood erupted from his mouth and splattered all over himself and the stairs. Raphael stared at the crimson as his body twitched and shook and watched as he was dragged into Soul Edge's maw.

 

Raphael's vision started to blur but refocused when he noticed the glowing fragment. It lie abandoned on the stone step ahead of him, its light calling him to it. With the last once of strength he had in him Raphael reached out and grabbed the shard. Soul Edge's mouth then snapped its jaws closed on them both.

 

Raphael could feel his breath squeezed out of him and Soul Edge's teeth piercing his flesh. He couldn't scream or breathe, the smell alone made him choke and the pressure was crushing him. Was this it?  _This_  was how Raphael of the Sorel house was going to die? 

 

What about her? Was going to be alone in the world again because of his incompetence? His...selfishness? 

 

Selfishness, the word was almost as painful as Soul Edge's jaws. That was exactly what it was, wasn't it? Raphael Sorel couldn't let go of the idea of power. Even when he had a second chance given to him by the girl that saved him.

 

"A...Amy..." The name was the only sound that escaped Raphael. It was  _her_  name, of all times to find it. Such a simple yet beautiful name. Raphael clutched the shard of memory close to his chest as he mentally spoke the name again. 

 

He remembered now, he left Amy with the promise of finding a way to make the world a better place. But it was all a rouse, a lie he had told her and himself as an excuse to seek power. It made him wonder, was he in the clutches of madness back then? Or was it when he returned to her corrupted by Soul Edge's evil? 

 

Tears welled up in Raphael's eyes and his heart ached when he faced these truths. Amy had unwittingly given him a gift and he cast it aside because it just wasn't enough for him. His greed and madness tainted her and drove them both down a path of horror and pain. She didn't deserve that,  _he_  didn't deserve  _her_.

 

They could have been happy, living quietly together somewhere far away from his enemies. Raphael could have abandoned his name and lived humbly for her. Perhaps as a doctor? He had the skill and knowledge from his years of studying medicine and poisons. Yes, a simple doctor and his clever daughter living in a quiet village far from France. Raphael would have been like a phoenix reborn from the ashes, living as a new man with a new name.

 

He could have watched Amy grow up and taught her as much as he could. Medicine, swordplay, culture, anything Raphael could give would have been hers. Amy would have grown up to be a respected and intelligent woman. Perhaps she would have found a capable husband that could keep up with her and build family of her own one day.

 

Truly it was beautiful picture, something that could have been but never will be. If he had to die, then Raphael wished to have that dream be his final thought. He closed his eyes and waited for death to take him.

 

As Raphael dreamed the light from fragment started to pulse and glow brighter. A warmth emitted from it and the pain in Raphael's mangled body started to lessen.

 

On the outside the endless staircase was beginning to crumble and fall apart. Soul Edge had attached itself to it with bulging veins and started to spread itself like an infection. The flesh and metal monstrosity gave a cackle at its victory as it continued to spread and corrupt. Yet Soul Edge's laughter silenced when its bulbous eye noticed something in the darkness. 

 

In the abyss was another glowing crystalline fragment. Like the first it began to drift towards the staircase. Then another shard blinked into existence and followed suit. Soon glimmering shards started to appear throughout the darkness. All twinkling and giving the once empty void the appearance of the night sky. They all floated towards the staircase bringing their light and warmth. Soul Edge found itself surrounded by the crystal like fragments of memory. They paused their movements feet away from it and waited for the others to gather. Soul Edge whipped at them with its tendrils but for each memory it shattered they pieced themselves back together.

 

 

 One fragment then made its move, propelling itself and stabbing into Soul Edge's flesh. The monster bellowed at the attack and thrashed about wildly but it didn't ward off its attackers. Like a swarm of wasps the crystalline fragments moved in and enveloped Soul Edge. Their light began to pulse in unison, glowing brighter and hotter with each moment.

 

A bright light engulfed the presence of the evil blade. Soul Edge howled and screeched as it thrashed. Its hold on the endless spiral staircase tightened to the point of crushing it into pieces. Soul Edge's flesh burned and began to crumble away into char and ash. Its cries soon died away into the sound of sizzling gore that slowly burnt itself out.

 

Raphael lied on the steps of the broken staircase, battered but not as mangled as before. Clutched to his chest was no longer a shard but a glowing globe. It shined brilliantly as it whispered with his memories both fond and bitter. The globe then faded and merged with Raphael's body. As it did a healthy color returned to his face and he started to rouse awake.

 

Raphael eyes blinked open and greeted with blurry vision. He forced himself to sit up, he braced himself when he felt a rush dizziness hit him. It took a moment for Raphael's mind to catch up to speed, he remembered that he was dying. Then...? 

 

"Amy?" Raphael whispered. His eyes widened when he realized that he was still alive, that he had another chance! Raphael forced himself to stand and ended up slumping against the wall of the endless stairs. Only when he looked up Raphael could see that it was no longer 'endless'. 

 

The endless staircase was shattered, pieces of it floated aimlessly in the dark abyss. Raphael felt his legs quake and his stomach twist at the sight. No! He couldn't give up! He had to find Amy! He had another chance, he could make things right!

 

Raphael stared at a distant glowing light at the top of where the staircase led. But was Amy actually up there?  Raphael instinctively shook his head 'no'. Something about this was wrong, he wasn't supposed to be here. But then where was he supposed to go?

 

Raphael then looked out toward the dark abyss. He walked towards the edge of the staircase and looked down. There was another light down below but much less inviting than the destination at the top. Raphael stared down at with uncertainty, he felt his heart pound in his ribcage as fear gripped him. He took a deep breath and swallowed the lump in his throat.

 

Raphael tried to picture Amy in his mind but found that it was still hard to picture her face. His hands clenched into fists, he couldn't allow himself to stop now. Raphael braced himself, leaned forward and let himself to fall from the edge of the endless staircase.

 

Down and down and down Raphael fell, speeding past level after level of stairs. As he continued to plummet he could hear the sound of a heart struggling to beat. It would go and stop then beat to life and struggle to keep the pace. Raphael's hands clutched to his own chest as he felt pain. It was his heart that was struggling! He coughed and choked as it felt like he was desperate to get air into his lungs.

 

Upon reaching the bottom of there was a flash and a jolt. Raphael found himself gasping for air and convulsing on the floor of a dark room. The air was cold against his skin, the stone floor even colder. It took a few moments for Raphael's body to finally adjust. He lied on the floor catching his breath, a cough escaping him occasionally. It was when his senses started to return to him that he finally noticed the smell and gagged.

 

It was the smell of rot and death, the scents assaulted Raphael's senses like a battering ram. He rolled over and heaved  and coughed. Nothing came from his empty gut save for the sting of stomach acid. Raphael covered his nose and mouth with his hand and looked around at his surroundings. 

 

Only a limited amount of moon light shined through a damaged part of one of the walls. It appeared to have once been a prison of some sort given the bars. But it seemed to have been converted for another purpose. Raphael could barely make them out in the dark but he could see symbols  drawn on the walls and floor of the room. There was an operating table in the center of the room, caked with dried blood. Vicious looking tools and strange machinery were left abandoned about the prison. Was this some macabre workshop? Perhaps it was an alchemy lab? It didn't matter in the end, something about this place felt sinister to its core, staying was not wise.

 

Raphael stepped back only to trip and fall backwards. His fall was broken by a pile of what he thought at first was a pile of rags. Raphael turned his head and was met with the rotted face of a dead man. He had landed in a pile of corpses. Raphael's shrill scream rang throughout the prison and escaped into the night.

 

-o-o-o-o-o-

 

A loud crack of thunder boomed, with it a man violently jolted awake with a scream. His hands swatted wildly away at unseen horrors and attackers. He sat up in bed gasping for breath, eyes wide as he checked himself for injury. His blood red hair was stuck to his face from sweat and his red eyes darted around the bedroom. 

 

The red haired man started to calm when realized that he was safe in his room and gave a sigh of relief. A short laugh escaped him and then he swallowed a lump in his throat. He felt himself shaking. Still haunted by the horrific vision of being tangled in corpses from his dream. The red haired man jumped with a yelp when he hear someone pound on his bedroom door.

 

"Graf Dumas? Are you alright? We heard screaming!" called a concerned voice. It was one of the servants that tended to the Graf.

 

Dumas felt his cheeks burn when he felt a sudden rush of embarrassment. How ridiculous! He must have screamed like a frightened child! He sucked in a breath and sighed to steady himself.

 

"I-I'm fine!"  Dumas grew irritated when he heard the shakiness of his own voice. He cleared his throat and spoke again. "Just leave me be..."

 

"Are you sure?" the servant asked. "There has been a lot of malfested sightings in the area. Perhaps you could use a guard stationed at your door-"

 

"NO! I said I was fine! Now go away, you pethetic mongrel!" Dumas shouted to the door, his voice now firm. When he heard the servant finally leave he climbed out of bed and made his way to the mirror in his room. 

 

 Dumas stared at himself in the mirror for a moment. He brushed some stray hair that was stuck to his face out of the way and tucked it behind his ear. "Look at what a mess you are." he said to his reflection with tone of distaste.

 

Dumas then proceeded to check himself for any wounds. He ran his hands along his body, which was clothed in a loose night shirt. There was no blood from his stomach, he certainly didn't see any blood on his clothes or face. How odd, Dumas was sure he felt something skewer him through the stomach earlier that night. That gave him quite a fright, if took the servants fifteen minutes to calm him down. 

 

Dumas moved his hand from his stomach to his heart, remembering a strange tightness in his chest. He locked eyes with his reflection, seeing a face that he despised. It was of the disgraced French noble, Raphael Sorel. A stubborn bastard who was hell-bent on causing nothing but trouble.

 

Yet Sorel still caused Dumas trouble, even from beyond the grave. Experiments done with alchemy and the dark arts failed to subjugate this body to Soul Edge's will. There was still a part of Raphael in there, fighting against him. That man's will was like steel. Surprising, given how many hosts' spirits Soul Edge crushed through the ages. Raphael sought power and he got it in the end. So why did he struggle so?

 

Instead of subjugation by force, Soul Edge had to rely on a different tactic. It picked at the memories in Raphael's brain, rearranging some and scrambling others. It made casting out what remnants of Raphael and what humanity he had left out of the body. At last, it was safe to say that Raphael Sorel was finally dead, never to return.  

 

Of course there were still the occasional 'hiccups', as was with all hosts. Dreams or bits of memory clawing their way to the surface from the dark depths. Even habits and pieces of personality carrying on in the body's new life as a host. It was what made 'Dumas' such an interesting Nightmare. He drew people to him with his looks and charisma, able to slip into the social circles of the elite. Dumas was also cunning and patient like hunter. 

 

Instead destroying everything he saw Dumas saw destruction like a game of strategy. Dare he say it, Soul Edge had grown quite fond playing the game of 'human politics'. It was fun setting the stage and playing people against each other like actors in a play. It was satisfying to watch humans and society slowly undo themselves.

 

Yes, Dumas  _hated_  Raphael Sorel but hoped that this body wasn't going to give up on him just yet. After all, they hadn't even reached the grand finale! This was going to be a play that would make whole world stand still and marvel in awe. It was going to be a beautiful tragedy that no one would ever forget. 

 

-o-o-o-o-o-

 

It took too long to navigate out of that hellish prison for Raphael's liking. His body felt stiff and heavy as he forced himself to move towards the broken door. More feeling returned with time but it was still at a slow rate.

 

Raphael pushed past the broken door and was greeted with the sight of a city in ruins. Burning and crumbling buildings were everywhere, plumes of smoke spilled into the air. The moon peeked out from smoke as a wind picked up. Raphael felt relieved at the feel of fresh air blew against his skin. It carried the scent of death and smoke away and he sucked in a lung full and tasted the night air.

 

"Halt malfested scum!"

 

The shout made Raphael jump and the sound of a sword being unsheathed made him look at the source of the voice. He found himself staring at a soldier approaching him. They looked at him with disgust written across their face.

 

The look he was getting prompted Raphael to look down at himself. He found that he was clothed in decaying old rags and his skin appeared deathly pale. The fingernails on his hands were long and claw like.

 

_'That's right, I'm not human anymore.'_

 

Raphael's thoughts abruptly interrupted when he was roughly grabbed by the arm. He felt the coldness of metal being pressed against the skin of his throat. Raphael grabbed hold of the soldier's wrist. He held them back with what strength he had left to stop them from slicing his head off his shoulders. Raphael could feel the edge of the blade breaking skin and a rush of panic washed over him. He couldn't let himself die here, he had to find Amy! He couldn't leave her in a world gone mad!

 

An inhuman growl erupted from Raphael's throat and felt a surge of strength. A sickening 'crack' was heard from the soldier's wrist and they pulled away from him. The soldier cursed in pain as they nursed their broken wrist. As Raphael watched a light came to life in his red eyes, giving them the appearance of smoldering embers. The soldier still cursed at him while backing away like an injured animal.

 

A smirk tugged at the corner of Raphael's mouth as he felt a carnal need crawl its way up from the depths of his being. He started to advance on the soldier, his smirk grew into a wicked grin which displayed his sharp teeth.

 

A chill ran through the soldier as they saw the look on the malfested man's face. He was different from the ones they had fought before. With fear gripping them, the soldier turned and made a mad dash to escape.

 

The hunt was on! Raphael broke out into a wicked cackle before he sped after the soldier. He bounded after them and found that despite his weakened state he still had the reflexes of a predator. It was all too soon that he overtook the soldier and wrestled them to the ground. Cries for mercy fell upon deaf ears and dissolved into a wet gurgling death rattle as their throat was torn out.

 

The soldier's blood tasted foul but it didn't matter to Raphael, he was famished and weak. He could feel his body reviving quicker as it drew energy and life from the consumed blood. There was a thrill, an exhilarating high that came from the hunt, regardless of its short life. Raphael licked the blood from his fingers and thought of how fun it would be to hunt more soldiers.

 

 _'You stupid savage **monster**! Have you  **no** shame?! Now's not the time for that!' _shouted a voice from the back of Raphael's mind. It was distant but persistent presence within him.

 

He blinked and slowly started coming down from his predatory high. Raphael felt a strange pang of guilt in his heart, but why? It was only natural that he have the right to hunt those who were weaker! He was the hunter and they were his prey! This whole world was nothing more than a stage for him to play with!

 

 _'No you **idiot**! Thinking like that is exactly what got us into this mess in the first place!'_  Again that annoying presence within him urged him to stop. Raphael clutched his head at the throbbing pain that came with it.  _'Think you fool! THINK! This is **not**  what she wanted!  You delude yourself if you think it was! We have to find her! We have to find-'_

 

"Amy!" Raphael's eyes went wide as realization crashed upon him like a wave from the sea. Dear lord in heaven how could he have forgotten?

 

Raphael forced himself up to his feet, now strengthened by blood and purpose. Just as he took his first step he saw something that made him freeze. The shadows from the buildings around him seemed to be moving. They weren't dancing because of the flames but appeared to move with a life of their own. 

 

Raphael squinted at the sight, wondering if perhaps his mind was playing a trick on him. That thought was dashed as the shadows slithered away from the buildings and sped towards him. They closed in on Raphael before he had time to move and sprang up from the ground. The shadows were snake like as they towered over him then faster than a blink they struck. They coiled around Raphael, enveloping him in darkness. He tried to tear them away from himself but his hands only passed right through them. Yet he could certainly feel their grasp on him as they squeezed him.

 

The shadows began to deteriorate and fade away. Parts of them fell off of Raphael in globs only to dissolve when they met the ground. Raphael tried to brush off the remnants that remained only to be surprised with what he saw they left behind. He gave a confused blink as he looked at his now gloved hands, then looked down at the rest of himself.

 

Gone were the decaying rags that poorly served as clothing. In their place was far more suitable attire. It was reminiscent of what Raphael would have worn before corruption and seized him. A jacket of cloth and leather, in the colors of faded violet and green trimmed in gold. Upon the jacket's back was his old family crest, still spitefully slashed through. Tall gray boots ended at the knees of his black trousers and a long green sash was tied around his waist. The finishing touch was a black wide brimmed hat that crowned his head. The shadow it cast over his face brought out the smoldering glow in his eyes.

 

Raphael studied himself, mentally noting the bat motif that appeared though out his attire. Fitting, he still was what he was after all, a monster of the night. For the life of him he couldn't understand how or what prompted such an event. Was he in  _really_  any position to question it?

 

Raphael knelt down by the soldier and pried their sword from their cold hand. He then proceeded to removed their scabbard from their belt and slipped it under his sash. Raphael looked over soldier's sword. It certainly was not his trusty Flambert but it still would serve his purposes. 

 

Raphael felt unsettled as he noticed something odd about his reflection in the blade. For the briefest moment he saw his past human self glaring back at him. He blinked and the phantom reflection disappeared, showing his true form once more. Raphael then sheathed the sword and proceeded to walk into the night.

 

A long time ago Amy told Raphael that he shared the name of an archangel. Far from anything holy she still loved him and gave him a purpose to continue living. Raphael could only hope that when he found Amy that she could forgive her fallen guardian angel.

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a really long time since I last wrote anything for Soul Calibur. It was a fun challenge to give it a shot and I hope you enjoyed.
> 
> This is a fic based off of what is given and hints about Raphael and Dumas in SCV. I really liked the idea and I took some creative liberties with it. I apologize if it was a little confusing.


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